The creation of a finished multimedia project requries the work of multiple tools in various programs. A complicated project like this requires careful planning of the workflow in order to coordinate the project most efficiently. This chapter will teach you how to plan your workflow with a focus on Creative Suite 2.

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't
know what you're doing.
W. Edwards Deming

What Is a Workflow?

A workflow is a process of how something gets done. It’s a map that
gets you from point A to point B. In other words, it’s the roadmap for a
project. In most cases, there are several ways to get to where you’re
going. Some ways might have more traffic, others nice scenery—but they all
basically get you to your destination. In the business world, though, you want
to get to your destination in the shortest amount of time, using the least
amount of gas, and having a bit of fun at the same time—which makes your
job rewarding, successful, and, most important, profitable.

In graphic design, a workflow comprises all the necessary steps that have to
happen for a particular job to be completed. Obviously, whatever your final
result is supposed to be will determine what the workflow is. If you’re
designing a piece that will be output to the Web, it will have a different
workflow, or process, than a project that will end up on a printing press.

Right off the bat, it’s important to realize that every workflow is
different—mostly, of course, because every project has different goals,
but also because there is usually more than just one way to accomplish a task.
Workflows are also affected by factors you might not necessarily think about.
For example, if you’re a designer who is putting together a newspaper, you
might be incorporating some photographs into your layout that came from prints
from your local photographer. Another paper might have overseas photographers
who need to submit their images digitally.

More so, there are organizations or design firms that handle nearly all the
aspects of a project, and there are designers who might work on only one portion
of a project. Some firms offer services from concept all the way through design.
Some people are just photographers. Even so, photographers who understand the
entire workflow not only can provide better services to their clients, but also
can be more efficient and can avoid having to redo work later in the
process.

Traditionally, a designer was required to possess and learn several software
tools, each of which worked differently. A tremendous amount of work was
required to make sure that all these tools worked together in some useful way.
And maintaining them was challenging (to say the least) because each of the
tools had different upgrade cycles, causing constant workflow changes.

The Adobe Creative Suite is unique because it provides all the tools
necessary for a design workflow. Because of the integration among the
applications in the Suite, it’s easy to move your project along each step
of the process. And because these applications all work in the same way, you
don’t have to tear your hair out learning about all kinds of programs to
get your work done. Most important, Adobe has aligned each of the products in
the suite to release at the same time, making it easier to develop and maintain
a workflow.

NOTE

The workflows you find here are guidelines to give you a better idea of how
the applications work together and what the process might be for different kinds
of projects. They work in a majority of cases; however, specialized tasks or
functions might require a modified workflow. By all means, feel free to
customize and expand on the workflows mentioned here to achieve the workflow
required for your particular needs.

As you read through the rest of this chapter, you might feel the urge to skip
particular areas because they don’t pertain to the kinds of things you are
doing today. For example, you might want to skip anything related to the Web
because you work primarily in print-related materials. My advice is to at least
get a basic understanding of other workflows because you never know what might
come your way. This way, if you end up getting an opportunity to do such
work—even if you’re going to outsource it—you’ll have a
complete understanding of the process and what needs to happen. If I had a
nickel for every time I’ve heard someone say "I lost so much money
because I told them I could do it, but I had no idea how much work was
involved," I’d have enough money for one of those speedy G5 computers
(with a gorgeous 30-inch display, of course).